Sequential Prophet 12 Limited Edition Owner's manual

Operation Manual

i

Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Operation Manual

Version 1.0

May 2013

Dave Smith Instruments

1527 Stockton Street, 2nd Floor

San Francisco, CA 94133

USA

www.davesmithinstruments.com

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Dave Smith Instruments

This device complies with Part 15 of the FCC Rules. Operation is subject to

the following two conditions: (1) This device may not cause harmful inter-

ference and (2) this device must accept any interference received, including

interference that may cause undesired operation.

This Class B digital apparatus meets all requirements of the Canadian

Interference-Causing Equipment Regulations.

Cet appareil numerique de la classe B respecte toutes les exigences du

Reglement sur le materiel brouilleur du Canada.

For Technical Support, email: [email protected]

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Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Table of Contents

Thank You ..........................................vii

Overview. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1

Getting Started ..........................................1

Using the Display and “Soft” Controls .........................2

Using Show and Revert Param .............................3

Saving Programs ........................................3

Moving to the Next Level ..................................4

Connections ..........................................6

Global Settings .......................................8

Oscillators ..........................................12

Character ...........................................17

Low-Pass Filter ......................................18

High-Pass Filter ......................................21

Voltage Controlled Amplier ...........................22

Feedback ...........................................24

Delay ...............................................25

Reverb and Modulation-Based Effects .......................26

Low Frequency Oscillators. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .28

Auxiliary Envelopes ..................................31

Modulation ..........................................32

Using the Assign Mod Buttons .............................32

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Dave Smith Instruments

Distortion ...........................................34

Unison .............................................35

Glide ...............................................36

Hold ................................................37

Arpeggiator .........................................38

Master Volume/Voice Volume ...........................40

Pitch and Modulation Wheels ...........................41

Touch Sliders ........................................42

Layers, Split, and Stack ...............................43

Managing Layers .......................................43

Play List ............................................45

Using USB ..........................................47

Appendix A:

Modulation Sources ..................................49

Appendix B:

Modulation Destinations ...............................50

Appendix C:

Delay Times .........................................52

Appendix D:

MIDI Implementation ..................................57

MIDI Messages ......................................... 58

NRPN Messages .......................................64

Sysex Messages ........................................85

Packed Data Format ..................................... 88

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Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Credits and Acknowledgements

For Sound Design:

Matia Simovich

James Terris

Mitch Thomas

Mark Wilcox

Taiho Yamada

Alessandro Cortini

Richard Devine

Rory Dow

Peter Dyer

Tim Koon

Kurt Kurasaki

Jamie Lidell

Tim Mantle (Psalm37)

Phil Peskett

Lorenz Rhode

Special thanks also to: Ken Eddleman, Jeff Pence, Robert Rich, and Riley Smith

And to the DSI crew: Bob Coover, Carson Day, Chris Hector, Tony Karavidas,

Mark Kono, Andrew McGowan, Joanne McGowan, and Tracy Wadley

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Dave Smith Instruments

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Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Thank You

I’ve been designing synthesizers for 35 years now, starting with the Prophet-5

in 1978. Often times over the years, people have asked which instrument is

my favorite. I’ve never been able to answer that question; it’s like picking

your favorite child. The Prophet-5 since it was the rst, and a breakthrough

instrument? The Evolvers with their hybrid analog/digital architecture? The

Prophet ’08, as a modern analog poly synth, a full-featured followup 30 years

after the Prophet-5? The Prophet VS? Wavestation?

The problem is now resolved: the Prophet 12 is my favorite. No question. It

sounds different than my other designs, yet it retains the Prophet vibe. There’s

something magical about the combination of a digital front end followed with

analog lters and electronics per voice. The Prophet 12 has a sound, a soul of its

own, unlike any other instrument. I love it!

I hope you enjoy playing this instrument as much as we enjoyed designing it.

Thanks for the purchase, from the team at DSI!

Cheers,

viii

Thank You

Dave Smith Instruments

1

Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Overview

This is a brief overview of the Prophet 12’s capabilities and its operation.

More in-depth information about specic parameters can be found in the

reference section of the manual. However, don’t let a lack of familiarity

with either the instrument or synthesis prevent you from turning knobs

and pressing buttons. That’s what they’re there for! You won’t break

anything and you can always get back to where you started, even if you

have no idea what you’re doing. Great things can occur with synthesizers

when you don’t quite know what to expect, so start twiddling and keep

your ears—and mind—open.

Getting Started

The Prophet 12 is a twelve-voice, polyphonic synthesizer. That means

up to twelve distinct notes can play simultaneously. The Prophet 12 is a

hybrid synthesizer. That is, it uses a combination of digital and analog

audio electronics to generate its sounds, called programs.

The Prophet 12 contains 792 programs organized into eight banks of 99.

Half the programs are in four Factory banks and the rest are in four User

banks. When a Prophet 12 leaves the factory, the User banks are an exact

copy of the Factory banks. Program 1 in bank 1 of the User banks is the

same as program 1 in bank 1 of the Factory banks, User program 2 is the

same as Factory program 2, and so on. All programs in either the Factory

or User banks can be edited using the front panel controls, but the edits

cannot be saved to the Factory banks, only the User banks. The Factory

banks are read only, permanent.

Choosing programs is simple. Choose User Banks or Factory Banks,

use Bank select to choose bank 1, 2, 3, or 4, and then use the numeric

keypad to enter the program number, 01 through 99. Or use Pgm UP and

Pgm Down to step though consecutive programs.

While auditioning programs, it should become obvious that some

programs are split—two different sounds can be played from different

zones of the keyboard—and some are stacked—one sound is layered on

another. The Prophet 12 is bi-timbral. That is, it can play two different

sounds simultaneously and each of those sounds can be routed to its own

stereo outputs, if desired. Each of the Prophet 12’s program memory

locations is capable of saving and recalling two different programmed

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Overview

Dave Smith Instruments

sounds, one in layer A and one in layer B. Layers are used to facilitate

split and stacked programs.

A split program maps the layer A sound to a key zone on the left side of

the split point and the layer B sound to the right. Six voices are allocated

to each key zone.

A stacked program maps both layers A and B to the entire keyboard, with

six voices allocated to each layer. So, when stack a + B is on, the maxi-

mum polyphony is six. (At least two voices play with each keystroke.)

The voice activity LEDs indicate how the voices are being used.

If sPlit a | B or stack a + B are not on, the layer B sound can still be

accessed and edited by pressing eDit layer B. This also provides a

shortcut to switch quickly between two sounds without actually changing

programs.

Using the Display and “Soft” Controls

The Prophet 12’s more performance-oriented parameters are all acces-

sible via dedicated knobs and switches on the front panel, but there are

even more parameters available via the OLED display. For example,

there are fteen knobs and switches in the Oscillator section. Editing

any of those controls reveals those parameters and their exact values—

as well as four additional oscillator parameters—in the display. Those

parameters are selected and tweaked using the four soft knobs and soft

keys located above and below the display. The soft knobs are detented

encoders and are great for dialing in specic values.

The “Soft Knobs”

The “Soft Keys”

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Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Overview

Using Show and Revert Param

Editing a program’s parameters causes the value for that parameter to be

displayed. But what if you want to see the value without editing it? show

allows a parameter to be displayed without actually changing it. Simply

press and hold show, and turn a knob or press a switch to display the

current setting. Or press show to turn it on and review multiple param-

eter settings before turning show off again.

Tip: Hold show and move the pitch wheel to see the bend range

settings.

At any point while editing a program, turn on comPare to hear the saved,

unedited program. Or, to revert to the saved program, just reload it by

pressing the lit Bank select switch. You can also revert a single param-

eter using revert Param. Just press and hold revert Param and turn a

knob to restore it to its saved value.

Saving Programs

Saving an edited program is easy. As mentioned previously, you can

compare the edited program to the saved program at any time using

comPare. Once you’re ready to commit, press write.

A. Write Bank (soft knob 1)—Choose the User Bank (1 through 4) to

which the program will be saved.

B. Write Program (soft knob 2)—Choose the program (1 through 99) to

which the program will be saved.

C. Select Char (soft knob 3)—Highlight a character in the current layer’s

name.

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Overview

Dave Smith Instruments

D. Edit Char (soft knob 4)—Choose a character.

E. Copy Name A > B (soft key 1)—Copy the layer A name to layer B.

F. Insert Char (soft key 2)—Insert a character before the selected character.

G. Delete Char (soft key 3)—Delete the selected character.

H. Layer A/B (soft key 4)—Switch between the layer A and layer B name.

Saving a program overwrites a previously saved program. While write

is blinking, comPare lets you “audition” the saved program in the bank

and program location you have selected.

Moving to the Next Level

This overview just covers basic operation. The Prophet 12 is a deep

instrument lled with possibility and playing it is a lot more compelling

than reading a manual. But we would like to point you in the direction

of a few things that will help you tailor the instrument to your needs.

In particular, check out the Global Settings section of the manual. Read

about Pot Modes and determine which works best for you. You’ll also

nd information about MIDI setup to more effectively integrate the

Prophet 12 into your rig, as well as information about using a footswitch

and expression pedals. Also, look for the tips and notes scattered

throughout the manual to gain a better working knowledge of the

instrument.

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Prophet 12 Operation Manual

OSC 1

SUB OSC LEVEL

FEEDBACK LEVEL

CHARACTER

FEEDBACK LOOP

VCA

PAN

L

R

SUB OSC

OSC 2

OSC 3

OSC 3 LEVEL

OSC 4 LEVEL

OSC 4

OSC 1 LEVEL

OSC 2 LEVEL

LPF

DECI AIR GIRTH DRIVE HACK

HPF

PROPHET 12 VOICE ARCHITECTURE

Modulation routing omitted for clarity

OSC

MIX

FDBK TUNE

PAN

L

R

PAN

L

R

PAN

L

R

PAN

L

R

DELAY

1

DELAY

2

DELAY

3

DELAY

4

6

Connections

Dave Smith Instruments

USB

Sustain

100-24 0 VAC

50-6 0 Hz

30 Wat ts

Pedal 1 Pedal 2 Right Left Right

Left

Headphones

MIDI In

MIDI Out MIDI Thru

B Outputs Main / A Outputs

USB

Sustain

100-240 VAC

50-60 Hz

30 Watts

Pedal 1 Pedal 2

Right Left Right

Left

Headphones

MIDI In

MIDI Out MIDI Thru

B Outputs Main / A Outputs

Connections

AC Power Inlet—Accepts a standard, grounded IEC power cord. Oper-

ates over a range of 100 to 240 volts and 50 to 60 Hz.

USB—For bidirectional MIDI communication with a computer. The

Prophet 12 is a Class Compliant USB device and does not require addi-

tional drivers when used with Mac OS or Windows. See Using USB on

page 47 for more information.

Sustain—Accepts a momentary, normally open or normally closed

footswitch to control sustain or to turn the arpeggiator on and off. See

“Sustain Footswitch” under Global Settings on page 10 for more

information.

Pedal 1 and Pedal 2—Accept a standard expression pedal that has a

variable resistor on a TRS (tip-ring-sleeve) ¼″ phone plug. For more

information, see “Pedal 1 Function” and “Pedal 2 Function” in Global

Settings on page 10.

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Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Connections

USB

Sustain

100-24 0 VAC

50-6 0 Hz

30 Wat ts

Pedal 1 Pedal 2 Right Left Right

Left

Headphones

MIDI In

MIDI Out MIDI Thru

B Outputs Main / A Outputs

USB

Sustain

100-240 VAC

50-60 Hz

30 Watts

Pedal 1 Pedal 2

Right Left Right

Left

Headphones

MIDI In

MIDI Out MIDI Thru

B Outputs Main / A Outputs

MIDI In, Out, and Thru—Standard 5-pin MIDI DIN connectors.

Main/A Outputs and B Outputs—Unbalanced, ¼″ audio outputs. The

Main outputs are a mix of a program’s A and B layers. When plugs

are inserted into the B outputs, only layer A is available from the Main

outputs and layer B is routed to the B outputs. See Layers, Split, and

Stack on page 43 for more information. The Prophet 12 sounds great

in stereo, but can be switched to mono. See “Mono/Stereo” in Global

Settings on page 9.

Headphones—A ¼″ stereo headphone jack.

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Global Settings

Dave Smith Instruments

Global Settings

Press gloBal to set those parameters, such as Master Tune and MIDI

Channel, which affect all programs globally.

1. Master Coarse Tune: -12…+12—Master Transpose control, 0 is

centered. Steps in semitones as much as one octave up (+12) or down

(-12).

2. Master Fine Tune: -50…+50—Master Fine Tune control; 0 centered.

Steps in cents as much as a quarter-tone up (+50) or down (-50).

3. MIDI Channel: All, 1…16—Selects which MIDI channel to send and

receive data, 1 to 16. All receives on all 16 channels.

4. MIDI Clock Mode: See table—Sets the Prophet 12’s ability to send

and receive MIDI clock messages.

Display MIDI Clock Setting

Off MIDI Clock is neither sent nor received.

Master MIDI Clock is sent, but not received.

Slave MIDI Clock is received, but not sent.

Slave Thru MIDI Clock is received and passed to MIDI Out.

Note: In Slave and Slave Thru modes, if no MIDI clock is present at

the selected input, the arpeggiator will not function.

5. MIDI Clock Cable: MIDI Port, USB—Sets the port, MIDI or USB, by

which MIDI clocks are received.

5. MIDI Param Send: Off, CC NRPN—Changes to the values of front

panel controls are transmitted via MIDI as Non-registered Parameter

Number (NRPN) controllers or as Continuous Controllers (CC). Trans-

mission of parameters can also be turned off. See MIDI Implementation

on page 55 for details.

Note: NRPNs are the preferred method of parameter transmission,

since they cover the complete range of all parameters, while CCs are

limited to a range of 128.

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Prophet 12 Operation Manual

Global Settings

6. MIDI Param Receive: Off, CC NRPN—Sets the method by which

parameter changes are received via MIDI. As with transmission, NRPNs

are the preferred method.

7. MIDI Control Enable: Off, On—When On, the synth will respond to

MIDI controllers, including Pitch Wheel, Mod Wheel, Pedal, Breath,

Volume, and Expression.

8. MIDI Sysex Enable: Off, On—When On, the synth will respond to

received MIDI SysEx messages, and will transmit them, when prompted,

to the MIDI Out. See Sysex Messages on page 82 for details.

9. MIDI Sysex Cable: None, MIDI Port, USB—Sets the port, MIDI or

USB, by which System Exclusive data will be transmitted and received.

10. MIDI Out Select: Off, MIDI, USB, MIDI+USB—Sets the port by which

MIDI data will be transmitted.

11. Local Control: Off, On—When on (the default), the keyboard and

front panel controls directly affect the Prophet 12. When off, the controls

are transmitted via MIDI but do not directly affect the “local” synth (that

is, the Prophet 12). This is primarily useful for avoiding MIDI data loops

that can occur with some external sequencers.

12. Mono/Stereo: Stereo, Mono—The Prophet 12 defaults to stereo

operation. When set to Mono, this parameter defeats all pan settings and

modulation, effectively making each of the outputs a mono output.

13. Pot Mode: Relative, Passthru, Jump—The rotary controls on the

Prophet 12’s front panel are a mixture of “endless” rotary encoders and

potentiometers or “pots.” The pots are identiable by their lined knobs

and the fact that they have about 300° of travel. There are three pot

modes to determine how the synth reacts when the programmable param-

eters are edited. (Master volume is not programmable, so these modes

don’t apply.)

When set to Relative, changes are relative to the stored setting. In Rela-

tive mode, the full value range is not available until either the minimum

or maximum value and the respective lower or upper limit of the pot’s

travel is reached.

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Global Settings

Dave Smith Instruments

For example, the Resonance parameter has a value range of 0 to 127.

Let’s say the physical position of the Resonance pot is the equivalent of

a value of 100. If you switch to a program that has a stored Resonance

setting of 63 and turn the pot all the way up, it will only go to 90. To get

to the maximum value of 127, you rst have to turn down until the value

is at the other extreme and the pot is at the limit of its travel (in this case,

0 and fully counter-clockwise, respectively).

In Passthru mode, turning the pot has no effect until after the edited value

equals the preset value (that is, until the edited value “passes through”

the stored value).

Jump mode uses an absolute value based upon the position of the pot

when edited: turn a pot and the value jumps immediately from the stored

value to the edited value.

14. Sustain Footswitch: Normally Open, Normally Closed—There are

two types of momentary footswitches, normally open and normally

closed. Either type can be used with the Prophet 12’s Sustain switch

input. Not sure which type you have? If the footswitch’s behavior is the

opposite of what’s expected—that is, down is off and up is on—changing

this setting will correct that.

16. Sustain Pedal Function: Sustain, Arp On/Off—The footswitch can

be used for sustain or to turn arpeggiator hold on and off.

15. Pedal 1 Function: Breath Control, Foot Controller, Expression,

Master Volume, Lowpass Filter: Full Range, Lowpass Filter: Half

Range—Sets the function/destination for the Pedal 1 input. An expres-

sion pedal can be routed to any destination using the modulation matrix.

See Modulation on page 32 for more information.

16. Pedal 2 Function: Breath Control, Foot Controller, Expression,

Master Volume, Lowpass Filter: Full Range, Lowpass Filter: Half

Range—Sets the function/destination for the Pedal 2 input. . An expres-

sion pedal can be routed to any destination using the modulation matrix.

See Modulation on page 32 for more information.

17. Aftertouch Enable: Off, On—When on, the Prophet 12 will receive

and transmit aftertouch data via MIDI.

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